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Kenai man eluding police hit by car

A Kenai man fled from police and into traffic on the Kenai Spur Highway on Saturday, where a car hit him.

The impact knocked Michael R. Price Jr., 23, into the oncoming lane and left him with minor injuries.

Police initially arrested Price on Saturday evening for violating conditions of release by consuming alcohol. Price had three outstanding violations pending and was due in court later this month to face those, according to Kenai Police Lt. Kim Wannamaker.

When officers found him at the scene, he was yelling and pounding on the door of a house where friends had dropped him off. As officers walked him to the patrol car, he fled, ran around the back of the house and into the woods and out onto the highway in heavy traffic.

“The first car swerved to avoid him,” Wannamaker said. “The second car tried to brake and hit him at low speed.”

Wannamaker said Price didn’t lose consciousness, but suffered some kind of trauma from being struck. He was taken to Central Peninsula Hospital, where he was released after two days and taken to jail.

Wannamaker said many people witnessed the crime and the driver who hit him was shaken up.

“Mr. Price would not have suffered the injuries or problems he encountered if he hadn’t been drinking and had not fled from the officers,” he said. “Everything that happened to him was caused by his own inappropriate and unlawful behavior.”